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jurisdiction up to 100 feet; to make an effective use of each 

 prime site; and to grant or deny permits for all Bay filling or 

 dredging in accordance with the standards in the plan. The com- 

 mission is also able to regulate shoreline development to insure 

 that prime sites are reserved for priority uses, to provide for 

 maximum public access and repurchase, and to encourage attractive 

 design of shoreline development. 



In conlusion, San Francisco Bay is not unique in its estuarial 

 problems. The picture BCDC painted of a neglected, shrinking, 

 polluted bay, yet an irreplaceable and immensely productive 

 resource, is typical of most of our Nation's estuaries. What is 

 significant about the San Francisco Bay experience, in addition 

 to the comprehensive and detailed background reports, is that 

 this study commission was oriented toward practical planning and 

 implementation, and that it was also endowed with interim power 

 to prevent further despoliation and uncoordinated development. 

 Under the act that created BCDC, this commission could grant 

 permits for fill or excavation only if a prooosed project was 

 "(1) necessary to the health, safety, or welfare of the public in 

 the entire Bay area, or (2) of such nature that it will not 

 adversely affect the comprehensive plan being prepared." Thus 

 BCDC showed how a regional agency endowed with permit powers and 

 focusing its studies on program implementation did not merely 



